Fancy
by Ashley1511
Summary: Here's your one chance, Fancy, Don't let me down. Forgive me for what I do, but if you can hack it it's up to you, now don't let me down hun, your momma's gonna move you uptown.


"Tell me about it mama." My seventeen-year-old daughter, Libby, begged me. I looked at her and fought the urge to say no. For her whole life, she had asked me to tell her why she doesn't have two grandmas, and I just couldn't answer her.

From the age of eighteen, I hated my ma. She always treated me right, never hit me, never let no one touch me in the wrong way. Most people criticized mama. At first, I couldn't do it…but then I got older, and I realized, I couldn't turn my daughter out the way she did to me.

I remember the day it happened, just like it was yesterday…

"_I looked in the mirror, but I couldn't smile. I had never looked like this before…a beautiful dress, a lovely locket around my neck, and gorgeous high heels…never in my 18 years of living, had I ever felt so beautiful…but there was something else there too…something else I had never felt._

_Skanky. I felt Skanky. I knew this was wrong, but mama said it was the only way I could get away from this hellhole o' livin'. I didn't wanna end up like my ma, living in a one-room shack, on the outskirts of New Orleans._

_I guess you could say we were squattin'. We didn't have no money for food or rent, but there was no one came to check on the shack, so we figured we could stay there for a while. A while turned into months, and months into years. Before I knew it, I'd spent sixteen years in that place…me, my mama, my pa, and my little sister._

_But no matter how much money we had, mama always tried to get me the nicest things."_

Haley smiled at the fond memory.

"The red dress in your closet?" Libby asked her mama, biting her lip as she spoke. She didn't want to interrupt and ask questions, god knows she'd waited long enough to hear this story, but she wanted to know.

"That's right." Haley smiled gently. "It's the last thing my mama ever gave me. Along with this." Haley felt around her neck.

"_My friends used to call me fancy…'Cause I always wanted the nicest things, and I always said that I would be rich some day. My mama was talking to me about havin' that big fancy life the day she turned me out. She washed and combed and curled my hair, painted my eyes and lips…and then she got out the dress. I didn't know what to say…I loved it…but I knew something was wrong. I put on the dress, and mama started tellin' me what was happenin'._

_I stood in front of the lookin' glass, and I remember exactly what mama said to me. She said 'Here's your one chance-"_

"Your song." Libby said quietly. "You said you wrote it from a movie." Haley smiled sadly and shook her head.

"I thought you were too little to understand." She stroked the side of her daughters face. "I should have told you a long time ago about your grandma, and I'm sorry." She let a tear slide across her cheek, as she carried on with her story.

"_So as I was saying, she just kept telling me, this was my one chance, and not to let her down. She thought she was makin' my life better." _Haley looked down to her knees, and felt the greatest comfort when she felt her teenage daughters hand on her shoulder/

"_I saw her crying. I remember…I remember the sound of the breath she took, and the way she said it to me. She said 'Your pa's runned off, and I'm real sick and the baby's gonna starve to death.' That's when she gave me the locket." _Haley let her hand reach up and pulled the locket over her head. She turned it over and showed her daughter the inscription.

"_I guess she thought having this would keep me from going off track. To thyne own self be true. I just remember asking mama what to do…and she said…she said just be nice to the gentlemen, fancy, and they'll be nice to you. I knew exactly what she meant. I was so scared, but I knew it got lots of money. I'd have a better life than my ma. I wouldn't have to do it long, just until I could get some money, a place to live and some nice clothes to get a job. I didn't realize I'd have to sleep on the streets unless I got a fine gentlemen customer every night._

_I ain't seen mama since I left…I couldn't see no way out. I knew what I had to do, and I promised that I'd be a lady someday, but didn't have no plans of how to do it. I just knew I couldn't live like this…I walked around with my head lookin' down. I was ashamed of myself…and I didn't know how to change."_

"You changed now though mama." Libby smiled. "You're not that lady anymore."

"I know baby girl." Haley kissed the top of her head. "I know." She whispered.

"_I met a few high up people. More money than sense…then your daddy came. He took me in off the street. It was like straight out of the movies. He helped me to get straight. He let me live with him, and he gave me a job. We started to date, and I told him all about my mama. He's the only person I ever met who didn't criticize her._

_I did. I hated what she did to me, and so did everyone who knew. They didn't think she should have done it, thought we could have made our lives better another way. I ain't had to worry about anything since I met your daddy. Not one thing, and I love him so much." _

Haley smiled widely. "We got married, I got pregnant…and now here we are, seventeen years later."

"Didn't you ever wanna go see your mama?" Libby asked her, as Haley took her daughters hands and looked to the floor. By now, both ladies had tear stained cheeks, but she knew she had to answer all of Libby's questions.

"I did." Haley nodded. "I realized, after a while, that mama was just lookin' out for me." She sighed. "I looked for my family once too. I didn't tell anyone, not even your daddy."

"When?" Libby asked, her big brown eyes shining.

"A few years after you were born. Pa died a long time ago." She looked to her knees. "I don't remember much of him, but I wish I could have been at his funeral. I wish I could have said goodbye one last time." She sobbed. "Welfare took my sister. Katie, her name was. My little sister Katie. I want to find her." She looked to Libby. "I want to find her, and tell her all about what happened. That no matter what, our mama loved us." She looked right in Libby's eyes. "If you ever, ever need anything, promise me you won't end up like that." She looked to her daughter. "Promise me that you will come to me, or your pa, no matter what it is." She could see the tears in Libby's eyes, but she couldn't help but do this. She needed to know that her daughter wouldn't turn out the way she almost did – the way her mother did.

"I promise Mom." Libby nodded. "I come to you 'bout everything." She promised. "That's why I came to you today." The young lady stood up. "I couldn't go to school before I talked to you." She sighed.

"I thought you were sick?" Haley looked skeptically at her daughter. "Come on tell me what's going on." She patted the couch. "You know I don't bite."

Libby took a deep breath. "I…You know I've been seein' Duke…" She looked to Haley, who simply nodded. "Well we've been…well…you know…" Libby turned her hand in circles as a motion to describe her words.

"You have?" Haley's eyes widened. Libby bit her lip and nodded. "And have you…wow…have you been using some form of protection?" She asked quickly, before Libby bit her lip once more, a trait inherited from her mother.

"See here's the thing…we were using condoms-"

"Were? What do you mean were, Libby? Did I not educate you enough about-"

"Mom!" Libby groaned. "You always interrupt me! Will you please hear me out?" She asked, shocking Haley completely. "Thank you." She replied, when her mother nodded. "Well, see a couple of weeks ago, remember you guys went to dinner, but I had too much homework?" She questioned.

"I do…" Haley squinted, wondering if her daughter had lied about schoolwork, just so she could see her boyfriend.

"Well…I finished early, and went on facebook, anyway, Duke ended up coming over…but we didn't have anything…" She bit her lip. "So we went looking…and we found some condoms." She explained. "But they weren't…I mean…they weren't the having sex ones." She blushed. Haley's eyes widened.

"And where in this house did you find those?" She asked immediately, knowing she and Nathan had never used flavoured condoms.

"Um..." Libby looked around. "I don't wanna get-"

"Where?" Haley asked more firmly. She moved her hand to her head, when she heard her daughter say that they were in her fifteen year old son's room. "Alright…" She sighed. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"No." Libby bit her lip. "I mean, yeah, but no. I…well they're thinner…" She blushed. "And…and it broke."

Haley stood up and turned away from her daughter. "Are you pregnant?" She asked immediately.

"Mom…"

"I asked you a question." Haley repeated, turning around. "Are you pregnant?"

"I.." Libby was now streaming with tears, unable to stop them. "I don't know." She swallowed. "I'm scared mama. I'm real scared."

"Shit." Haley cursed. "Why did you let me talk all about my mama?" She asked her daughter. "Why didn't you just stop me and tell me then?"

"I…I wanted to know." Libby said quietly. "You never talk about her…I wanted to know." She said honestly, before standing up. "Are you gonna turn me out like she did?" Haley didn't even have a chance to think about what she was doing as her hand flew across her daughter's cheek.

"Don't you dare." She said angrily. "Don't you ever think that I would do that to any of my children!" Libby held her cheek and was now hysterical, as she turned away from Haley.

"I…" Haley took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry; I never should have done that." She told Libby. "I just…I have no excuse."

"It's okay." Libby managed to squeak out. "I know you didn't mean it."

"Oh I meant it." Haley told her. "But I shouldn't have done it."

"Oh." Libby looked down. "Mama…will you…I mean…I got some stuff…but I'm afraid. I don't wanna do it alone." She looked down, as she breathed quietly.

"I will." Haley nodded. "I'll stay with you." She sighed, remembering how scary it was the first time she took one. Of course, she was married and a lot older than seventeen.

"Thank you mama." Libby enveloped her arms around the older blonde. "I love you."

"I love you too baby. " Haley kissed her daughters temple. "And I'm gonna be here for you, no matter what, like I know my mama would have been for me, had we been a little better off."

"She should have been there anyway." Libby said, still holding her mother. "Money doesn't matter, just that your mama loved you." Haley's heart stung at those words. She knew her mama loved her, but times were different then. She wouldn't have had a life at all if it wasn't for her ma…she knew that now.

"It's her birthday today." Haley whispered. "That's why I was thinkin' 'bout her." Libby pulled away and looked at her ma.

"Maybe…maybe once we find out about…about me then…then we can talk to daddy about findin' her again?" She suggested. "I know you miss her."

"I do baby." Haley stroked her daughter's hair. "I do."

**Chapter 2**

**Well I just heard; the news today**

Nathan sat on the bleachers, and ran a hand through his hair. He had gone to the school gym to practice with Lucas, his brother, and the team. It turned out that, once you get out of the game, it's hard to get back in.

His back hurt a lot right now, and he was more tired than most of the guys on the team. He wasn't Nathan Scott right now; at least, not the Nathan Scott he used to be.

Then again, the Nathan Scott he used to be was too greedy and cocky to make it to the NBA, to win over his wife, Haley, and to be a father to his four children.

Taking his cell phone from his pocket, he threw his head back, as the eighteen year olds piled out of the gym. After looking at his phone, just for a few seconds, his hand ran through his dark locks.

_We need to talk. Can you come home? Hales x_

Whenever she sent a cryptic message like this, something bad always followed. Standing up, he replied that he was on his way, before jogging out of the gym, calling his farewell's to his brother on the way.

_She watched, as her Ma and Pa fought in the living room. They couldn't see her; if they could, they'd have stopped, but they couldn't. She was hiding behind the door. They were fighting about money…again._

_She just wished that she could get them some money. She was a big girl now. She could get a job! She could sell her toys on the playground; she didn't mind. She just wanted mommy and daddy to stop fighting…_

As he entered the foyer of their home, Nathan removed his coat and hung it up. Looking through the glass door, he could see the silhouette of his wife in the living room. She had her computer out, something that wasn't unusual for Haley.

Beside her, their daughter, Libby, lay with her head on the arm. She looked to be asleep, so he carefully tiptoed in.

The only thing that lit up the room, was the LED screen from Haley's laptop, he noted, with a frown.

"Hey." The 38 year old said quietly, as he approached his wife. "What's happening?" He asked, referring to the message that she had previously sent him.

Haley looked up and closed her laptop screen, sighing with a look at her daughter. "Let's go into the den." She stood and allowed her husband to lead the way, silently trying to work out a way of building up to this.

Closing the door behind them, Nathan watched Haley put the laptop on the desk, leaving it closed, and turn to him.

"Oh god." She mumbled, running her hand through her hair. "Alright, you um, you have to promise me, that you will not speak until I'm done." She said quickly, making her way towards the door, so that if he tried to leave, she could stop him.

"Um…okay." He frowned, as more of a question than an answer. "Should I sit down."

"Yes." Haley laughed dryly. "Yes I really think you should just…sit down." She breathed lightly. "Okay, so there's two things." She began. Better to rip the Band-Aid off, right?

"Alright." Nathan sat in a chair by the desk and swiveled around to his wife. "Is this about-"

"Actually there's three things." Haley corrected herself quickly, as she made her way over to her husband. "Four if you count the fact that you still haven't kissed me yet." She raised an eyebrow and waited for her husband to softly touch her lips with his own.

"I'm sorry." He smirked. "Now, go ahead."

"Okay. First, you need to have a conversation with your son." She told Nathan. Sticking a hand in her pocket, she pulled something out and put it on the desk.

"Oh, come on Hales, he doesn't even come home very often, why are we bother-"

"Not Jamie. These are Andy's." She told her husband. "They were in his room."

"Oh." Nathan frowned. "They're…they're the ones for-"

"I know." Haley interrupted him. "Just talk to him, see if he's okay, find out if he's gay-"

"Haley, come on." Nathan laughed. "So because he has flavoured condoms it makes him gay?"

"Will you please, just talk to him?" Haley asked, frustrated. "I have had a lot to deal with today, and I do not need you telling me that you're not talking to our son about being gay being added to the top of it, I was just throwing it in as a possibility!" She ranted, clearly a little stressed.

"Okay." Nathan nodded. "I'll talk to him. What else?"

"Well." Haley paused, and took a deep breath. "Shit." She cursed, as she heard the door go. "Ignore that. Who ever it is'll come back later."

"Alright." Nathan laughed. "Baby, calm down. Don't stress yourself out about it." He insisted, speaking softly.

"Libby's pregnant." Nathan was extremely still for several moments, as Haley watched him. His baby girl…gone?

_**It seems my life, is gonna change**_

_She looked back at the shack, one last time, as her mama waved at her._

_Stepping out into the road, in her new high heels, she knew this was her only chance, as she stepped carefully, trying not to scuff her new shoes._

_It wasn't long before she arrived at a main street and a driver by stopped her._

"_You lookin' for business, kid?" He asked her, leering over her dress. "I got $300 to send your way." He waved a wad of money and Haley bit her lip. Seeing that much money…it was more than she ever saw at one time, even at Christmas or her birthday._

_With a quick swish of her hair, she batted her eyelids at the driver. "Alright, Y'all got yourself a date." She stepped towards the car, her nerves going at a faster rate than ever before._

"_Wow, kid." They man laughed. "Most girls would have tried to get $450, at least."_

"_Well, I guess I'm not most kids." Haley opened the car door and climbed into the vehicle, the man resting his hand on her leg, as they drove off._

"What do you mean, 'She's Pregnant'? She's seventeen, she's not pregnant!" Nathan exclaimed, loudly, standing up.

"Nathan, just…just listen." She told him. "You promised." She reminded him, as he seethed, looking at the door.

"Is that why you let her stay off school? Because she's pregnant?" He asked immediately.

"No!" Haley exclaimed. "She was sick this morning. Morning sickness, Nathan." She said pointedly. "You do remember what that is, right?"

"Of course I do." He spat. "When did she tell you?" He began to calm a little, as his breathing evened out.

"This morning, after you went to practice." She told her husband. "She's scared, Nate. They…she said they used one of these." She lifted a condom from the desk. "That's how I found them."

"You said there were three things." He looked at his wife, not quite wanting to take in the news of his grandchild. "Who is it? Jamie or Lydia?" He asked her, bringing up their eldest and youngest child.

"Neither." Haley smiled softly. "It's…it's me." She told him, making her way to the laptop.

"What?" He questioned loudly. "Again? Haley you're not pre-"

"No." Haley laughed. "I think four is just about enough." She smiled coyly. "I…It's my mom's birthday." She told Nathan, biting her lip.

"Oh." Nathan looked to his wife, nodding slowly, unsure of what to say, even after twenty years of knowing each other. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Haley nodded, as she opened the laptop and turned for him to see. "I…I think I want to find her again." She looked to her husband. "I've been looking up the area, and it seems like nothing's changed…I want…I want to see if she's still there." Haley confessed quietly, wondering what her husband was thinking right now.

"Okay." He told her. "If it's what you want, then I'll support you. She's your mother, and no matter what, you love her. Maybe you two can have a relationship if you find her." He told Haley. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He opened the den door and stormed into the living room.

"_Mama!" She came running into the shack, her eyes streaming with tears. As she reached her mama, she broke down, as she jumped into her arms. Her leg was pouring with blood, a piece of broken glass sticking out._

"_Haley James! Where did this happen?!" Lydia scolded, knowing the only things around with any glass were the…_

"_I…Tommy threw a…a dirt clod at…at…the w..window." Haley sobbed in her mother's arms. "It hurts mama."_

_Lydia sighed, and sat her daughter down on the couch. Pinching the cut, she checked how deep the cut was. They weren't going to the hospital unless they needed to. There was no money for that!_

_So, taking a rag from the kitchen, she pressed down on the cut, around the glass, and told Haley to count to ten. Not that it made it hurt any less, as she yanked the glass out, her hand moving with the rag to immediately cover the gushing wound._

"_OW!" Haley exclaimed, screaming loudly. "Mama!" She cried out loudly._

"_It's okay baby." Lydia promised, rubbing her daughters head, as she pushed her hair back. "Come on, you can be a brave girl, right?" Lydia watched her daughter nod, tears streaming from her eyes. "Alright, I need you to hold this real tight, while I gets the Whiskey." She sighed as she walked away, muttering about wasting a $30 bottle of liquor on things like this._

"What do you mean, 'is it yours', Duke?" Nathan heard his eldest daughter yell. "Of course it's your baby! I've never been with anyone else!" She screamed loudly, not knowing her father was home yet.

"So you say!" Came a deeper voice. "We always used condoms." He countered.

"Yeah, well one fucking broke." Libby let her voice break. "You know what? Just get out." She shook her head, shooing him with her hands, as she walked closer. "I have bigger things to worry about than you deciding that I cheated now that things get serious. Get out." She opened the door for him and watched him leave without a single protest. Once the door was closed, she swallowed back and let herself slide down the door, sobs overcoming her, as they had done before she fell asleep.

Nathan saw this and took a deep breath. Striding into the living room, he lifted his daughter into his arms and held her close, as he guided her to the couch.

"Daddy." She cried out, holding tightly to his chest. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I'm s-s-sorry."

"It's alright, we'll talk later." He mumbled, holding her close. "I have some things to do before hand." He replied quietly, gently stroking her hair. "Just go back to sleep."

He continued like that for another fifteen minutes or so, until he heard her breathing even out, and knew for sure she was asleep.

"Thank you." He heard his wife say, from the door. He looked up, confused. "For not chewin' her out just yet." Nathan sighed and nodded slowly…contemplating his life as a grandfather…wow…that actually sounded like a horrible word. He couldn't even imagine it…Grandpa Nathan.

**Chapter 3**


End file.
